Blame it on thunderstorms!

Continental apologizes to trapped passengers
The 47 passengers who were stuck on the tarmac in Rochester for about six hours will also get a refund and a certificate for future travel.

By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune

Last update: August 10, 2009 - 2:02 PM
Featured comment

So many things went wrong here ...
The Captain is no longer responsible for the aircraft or it's passengers once he's parked it safely at the gate. However in this case, upon … read more exiting the plane he must have noticed the "ghost town" atmosphere once inside the terminal. He then should have asked about the passengers and what was going to happen to them. Trust me, he could have done something. I've known many pilots over the years and when they make enough noise they usually make things happen.

Those 47 passengers who were trapped on a commercial airliner in Rochester overnight a few days ago are now receiving an apology today and other financial accommodations.

The Continental Airlines flight Friday night from Houston to the Twin Cities was left parked at the Rochester airport for six hours, complete with crying babies and the aroma of over-used toilets.

ExpressJet Airlines, which operated the plane, said that crew members on the plane reached their maximum work hours in the air, so another crew had to be flown in. Thunderstorms in the area also were a factor in the decision.

Now comes this word from Continental:

"We are working closely with ExpressJet to resolve the issues surrounding this extended delay as service provided to customers on this flight was completely unacceptable. We are apologizing to our customers and will be offering them a full ticket refund and a certificate good for future travel."

One alternative that night, chartering a bus, couldn't be worked out. And letting the passengers into the Rochester airport was not possible, ExpressJet said, because they would have to go through security screening again, and the screeners had gone home for the day.

The plane, which left Houston about 9:30 p.m. Friday, arrived in Rochester about midnight, and passengers weren't allowed to leave the plane until 6 a.m. Saturday.

While ExpressJet says passengers couldn't get off because security screeners were not on duty, officials at the Rochester airport say the passengers could have stayed on the secure side of the terminal, and it was Continental's decision to keep them on the plane.